different between yam vs plantain

English

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: y?m, IPA^(key): /jæm/
• Rhymes: -æm

Etymology 1

From Portuguese inhame and Spanish ñame, likely from Wolof ñàmbi (“cassava”) or a related word. The term was spelled yam as early as 1657. Doublet of name.

Noun

yam (plural yams)

1. Any climbing vine of the genus Dioscorea in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, usually cultivated.
2. The edible, starchy, tuberous root of that plant, a tropical staple food.
3. (US) A sweet potato; a tuber from the species Ipomoea batatas.
4. (Scotland) Potato.
5. (New Zealand) A oca; a tuber from the species Oxalis tuberosa.
6. (Malaysia, Singapore) Taro.
7. An orange-brown colour, like the flesh of the yam. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Usage notes

Careful use distinguishes yams (genus Dioscorea) from sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas), while casual American use conflates these.

Derived terms

• Chinese yam
• purple yam
• wild yam
• yamless
• yamberry

Translations

Etymology 2

Alternative form of hjem. Likely caused by Old Norse influence from Old Norse heim (“home, homewards”), the accusative form of heimr (“abode, world, land”), from Proto-Germanic *haimaz. More at home.

Noun

yam (plural yams)

1. (regional, Cumberland) home

Etymology 3

Verb

yam

1. Pronunciation spelling of am.

Anagrams

• Amy, MYA, May, Mya, may, mya

Aleut

Noun

yam

1. (Eastern) yesterday

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Azerbaijani

Etymology

See yamç?.

Noun

yam (definite accusative yam?, plural yamlar)

1. (historical) mail staging post

Declension

Derived terms

• yamç?

Further reading

• “yam” in Obastan.com.

Beja

Noun

yám

1. water

References

• Klaus and Charlotte Wedekind, Abuzeinab Musa, Beja Pedagogical Grammar (2005)
• Etudes berbères et chamito-sémitiques: mélanges offerts à Karl-G. Prasse (2000, ?ISBN, page 38
• Václav Blažek, A Lexicostatistical comparison of Omotic languages, in In Hot Pursuit of Language in Prehistory: Essays in the four fields of anthropology, page 122

Buwal

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Chadic *ymn.

Noun

yam

1. water

References

• Mélanie Viljoen, Michael Viljoen, Pascal Konai, François Mbouvai, Ernest Koyang, Benjamin Deli, Précis d’orthographe pour la langue buwal - Édition préliminaire (2009, Yaoundé, SIL Cameroun)

Cuvok

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Chadic *ymn.

Noun

yam

1. water

References

• ASJP
• Olga Stolbova, Chadic Lexical Database, issue II (2007): yam "water"

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English yam.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /j?m/
• Hyphenation: yam
• Rhymes: -?m

Noun

yam m (plural yams or yammen, diminutive yammetje n)

1. yam, a tropical vine
2. its edible root

Synonyms

• jam
• yamswortel

Lashi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jam/

Postposition

yam

1. beside

References

• Hkaw Luk (2017) A grammatical sketch of Lacid?^[2], Chiang Mai: Payap University (master thesis)

Merey

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Chadic *ymn.

Noun

yam

1. water

References

• Richard Gravina (compiler); Alan Boydell, Elie Doumok (facilitators), Merey lexicon (2003, SIL)

Middle English

Pronoun

yam

1. (Northern, northern East Midlands) Alternative form of þem (“them”)

Mofu-Gudur

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Chadic *ymn.

Noun

yam

1. water

References

• Topics in Mofu-Gudur (SIL)

North Giziga

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Chadic *ymn.

Noun

yam

1. water

References

• Etudes berbères et chamito-sémitiques: mélanges offerts à Karl-G. Prasse (2000, ?ISBN, page 38

Pnar

Etymology

From Proto-Khasian *ja?m, from Proto-Mon-Khmer *jaam. Cognate with Khasi ïam, Blang jàm, Khmu [Cuang] ja?m, Mang ?a?m¹, Mon ???, Khmer ?? (yum).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jam/

Verb

yam

1. to cry, to weep

South Giziga

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Chadic *ymn.

Noun

yam

1. water

References

• Etudes berbères et chamito-sémitiques: mélanges offerts à Karl-G. Prasse (2000, ?ISBN, page 38

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English yam.

Noun

yam

1. yam

Yimchungru Naga

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *k-j(i/u)m.

Noun

yam

1. house

Zulgo-Gemzek

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Chadic *ymn.

Noun

yam

1. water

References

• An Outline Sketch of Gemzek Grammar
• An Overview of Gemzek Narrative Discourse Features

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?plant(e)?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?plænt?n/, IPA^(key): /?plæn.te?n/

Etymology 1

From Middle English planteyne, planteyn, from Anglo-Norman plainteine et al., Old French plaintain, from Latin plant?ginem (“plantain”), accusative of plant?g?, from planta (“sole”), a nasalized form of Proto-Indo-European *pleth?- (“flat; to spread”), because of the broad, flat shape of the plantain leaves.

Noun

plantain (plural plantains)

1. A plant of the genus Plantago, with a rosette of sessile leaves about 10 cm long with a narrow part instead of a petiole, and with a spike inflorescence with the flower spacing varying widely among the species. See also psyllium.
   • 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society 2007, p. 225:

     The roots of Plantain and Pellitory of Spain beaten to powder and put into hollow teeth, takes away the pains of them.

   • 2003, Michael Hofmann, translating Ernst Jünger, Storm of Steel, Penguin 2004, p. 41:

     The paths too are overgrown, but easily identified by the presence on them of round-leaved plantains.

Synonyms

• waybread
• fleawort

Derived terms

• common plantain
• greater plantain
• mud plantain
• ribwort plantain
• robin's plantain
• water plantain

Translations

References

• Plantago on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Plantago on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Plantago on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Etymology 2

From Spanish plantano, obsolete variant of plátano, from Galibi Carib platana (“banana”).

Noun

plantain (plural plantains)

1. A plant in the genus Musa, the genus that includes banana, but with lower sugar content than banana.
2. The fruit of the plant, usually cooked before eating and used like potatoes.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:plantain.

Related terms

• banana plantain
• bocadillo plantain
• cooking plantain
• plantain cutter
• plantain eater (Musophagidae)
• plantain squirrel (Callosciurus notatus)
• plantain tree

Translations

References

• plantain on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Musa on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Musa on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• banana

Anagrams

• plainant

Basque

Etymology

Eventually from Latin plantaginem, accusative of plantago.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /plan.ta?/

Noun

plantain inan

1. plantain

   Synonym: zainbelar

Declension

Further reading

• “plantain” in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus
• “plantain” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia, euskaltzaindia.eus

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pl??.t??/

Etymology 1

From Old French plantain, from Latin plant?g?, plant?ginem.

Noun

plantain m (plural plantains)

1. plantain, any plant of genus Plantago

Etymology 2

From banane plantain

Noun

plantain m (plural plantains)

1. plantain (fruit of the genus Musa)

Further reading

• “plantain” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

From Latin plant?g?, plant?ginem.

Noun

plantain m (oblique plural plantainz, nominative singular plantainz, nominative plural plantain)

1. plantain, any plant of genus Plantago

Descendants

• English: plantain
• French: plantain